Scrubs in public ..........does it bother you?

[npmommie]

So interesting you bring this up. The issue was addressed a couple of years back at one of our local hospitals. Big medical family. I went in for surgery stayed one night - doc comes in - I notice the tie. HA! Dont you dare lean over my open wound with that tie! And - I better see you wash your hands before you touch me.

the article I linked in my OP mentioned the docs ties being cultured

so see, you make my point for me, nurses, docs etc leaning over patients, their clothes touch things, no not everything harbors nastiness, but a lot does,
then you see them leaning over the apples at the grocery. makes me say yuck.

 

[JessicaR]

the article I linked in my OP mentioned the docs ties being cultured

so see, you make my point for me, nurses, docs etc leaning over patients, their clothes touch things, no not everything harbors nastiness, but a lot does,
then you see them leaning over the apples at the grocery. makes me say yuck.

Well I see where you are coming from but everyone that wears scrubs isn't germ infested. So seeing someone in scrubs in the supermarket I dont assume where they have been. I am not bother in the least and the thought doesn't cross my mind. BUT, if they are in a scenario that they have been exposed, yes, of course they should change. Common sense is a hopeful thought for those that should change.

 

[FireDancer]

Doesn't bother me at all. If I stop somewhere on my way home from work I don't change first, unless I am going to the gym. Why would I expect someone else to?

 

[declansdad]

I don't know if they have been to work yet...........but usually I can tell by the time of day what makes the most sense, and also by the amount of groceries in their cart

and I always assume the scrubbers are mostly nurses who, like me, are exposed to the most nasty of nastiest things. alphabet soup.

But as many people have pointed out, not all people wearing scrubs are nurses or even have patient contact.

 

[golfgal]

When my mom was a nurse it was hospital policy to wear scrubs to and from work but they changed into fresh scrubs after their shift and wore those again back in the next shift. I don't know the exact reason behind the policy but she worked in ICU and maybe it had something to do with that.

 

[Art 1]

I am not bothered by folks wearing scrubs in public.

 

[tvguy]

My husband is a med student and has done several plastic surgery rotations at different hospitals. In all but one they were not allowed to leave the hospital in their scrubs. It's odd though because in a few the surgeons had this policy, but not other fields. Surgeons scrubs are probably cleaner than most since they are covered during surgery and many don't have as much contact with contagious patients as say internal medicine.

My mom worked as a surgical nurse for 45 years. Scrubs were not allowed out of the building, only because the hosptial was afraid they would not come back.

 

[npmommie]

this was just on our news the other day

http://www.thebostonchannel.com/health/25905465/detail.html

 

[mum4jenn]

I wear scrubs 4-5 days a week and I have no problem going shopping in them.... I am NOT in the medical field...far from it.

I see people of all sorts leave the restrom without washing their hands, coughing and sneezing all over the place or in their hands, changing diapers, etc and they are not wearing scrubs. Does this mean they are not carrying germs on themselves?????

I love my scrubs and they are very comfortable, wash extremely well, and are easy to get food stains out of.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

It has never bothered me before and I doubt it ever will. As others have mentioned, many people wearing scrubs will never come into contact with hospital patients. The workers at the weight loss center I attend all wear scrubs, even though it is by no means a medical facility.

My mom is a hospital microbiologist and wears scrubs many days to work. But she wears a labcoat over it and they are meticulous in their routines to avoid ccontamination. She always changes when she gets home, but we don't do anything special with her scrubs. They go in the laundry with everything else.

Honestly, I think Americans are way too scared of germs. I think there is something to be said for the "clean theory" that states the reason so many immunological disorders are on the rise in western countries is that we have become so scared of germs that we are no longer leaving our immune systems anything to do, so they turn inward.

 

[Kurby]

my dh is a chef and has his own version of scrubs and almost never wears them home. actually in the 9 years we've been together i can't remember a time when he wore them home or to work. he has brought them home on occasion to wash them. usually when we're going on vacation. otherwise they leave them at the hotel he works at and they wash them.

i don't understand why a hospital would let workers wear them home. why not just let them wear street clothes then? if the answer is not to bring in germs from the outside then why let them wear scrubs in from the outside?

it may be that i'm not in the area of any of our hospitals but i don't often seen anyone in scrubs around here.

 

[Disneycrazy!!]

My mom is a retired nurse, she wore scrubs into town but she also was a manager for home health and didn't see patients often.

My uncle is also a nurse in a hospital and he always comes home and immediately inserts his clothes into the washing machine as soon as he walks in.

 

[dyna]

NO it doesn't. I even bought my dad an brother who are both handicapped can no longer do zippers an buttons or snaps some dark blue an dark green scrub pants so they would have some pants to wear out in public that was not PJ pants....their sweat pants was just to hot for summer.

 

[tammymacb]

I wore my scrubs to Bath and Body last evening.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday, while many folks were out with family celebrating a holiday, I spent from 6:45 am until 7:15 pm in the ER. I'll be doing the same today and Sunday, too.

Something DD wanted for Christmas was on sale at B&B yesterday and on the way home I ran in and picked it up. I really have no other option in the situation unless you'd like to volunteer for me for part of the day so I can buy the things I want on sale like everyone else.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

No it doesn't. Lots of jobs wear scrubs. Heck, the medical receptionist wears scrubs and she doesn't even touch patients. If she wore jeans and a t-shirt, I'm sure the likelihood of transmitting something is the same.

Not sure how you would differentiate a hospital employee, from a dental assistant, from a receptionist, from the person who fills prescriptions at the vet to determine if they have exceeded the germ quota and should not be seen in public in their scrubs.

I never gave it a second thought. Now if they were covered in blood.....

I have a friend who is a receptionist on a maternity ward--overnight. She has less contact with patients than the new family coming to visit mom.

 

[Carly_Roach]

I think between the deep concern over germs in the environment coupled with not trusting her DH to find safe places to go on a walk with their 10 y/o (Really? 2/10 of a mile on a country road with her adult father is considered bad judgment and something to stew about for days?), I'm going to respectfully advise the OP to seek professional assistance about her fears.

Seriously, NP. You're heading into the world of agoraphobia and I hope you aren't dragging your DH or DD along with you.

The fact that you brought up a month-old thread that was dead and buried by trying to prove your fears are valid about scrubs in public with an article about germs tells me that you're obsessing about all the things that can go wrong rather than focusing on living life and dealing with issues if they happen to happen to you and/or your family.

I say this with love: Get help. Now.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/agoraphobia/DS00894

People with agoraphobia often have a hard time feeling safe in any public place, especially where crowds gather. Commonly feared places and situations are elevators, sporting events, lines, bridges, public transportation, driving, shopping malls and airplanes. The fears can be so overwhelming that some people are essentially trapped in their own homes — it's the only place they feel truly safe, so they don't venture out into public at all.
Agoraphobia treatment can be challenging because it usually means confronting your fears. A combination of medications and psychotherapy can help you escape the trap of agoraphobia and live a more enjoyable life.

 

[npmommie]

I wore my scrubs to Bath and Body last evening.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday, while many folks were out with family celebrating a holiday, I spent from 6:45 am until 7:15 pm in the ER. I'll be doing the same today and Sunday, too.

Something DD wanted for Christmas was on sale at B&B yesterday and on the way home I ran in and picked it up. I really have no other option in the situation unless you'd like to volunteer for me for part of the day so I can buy the things I want on sale like everyone else.

I have worked many many a holiday in my time as a nurse
and I have done it and I still do, although now my clothes are not scrubs but are regular clothes, but I still enter rooms with patients with MRSA for instance

I think between the deep concern over germs in the environment coupled with not trusting her DH to find safe places to go on a walk with their 10 y/o (Really? 2/10 of a mile on a country road with her adult father is considered bad judgment and something to stew about for days?), I'm going to respectfully advise the OP to seek professional assistance about her fears.

Seriously, NP. You're heading into the world of agoraphobia and I hope you aren't dragging your DH or DD along with you.

The fact that you brought up a month-old thread that was dead and buried by trying to prove your fears are valid about scrubs in public with an article about germs tells me that you're obsessing about all the things that can go wrong rather than focusing on living life and dealing with issues if they happen to happen to you and/or your family.

I say this with love: Get help. Now.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/agoraphobia/DS00894

you are funny.
I work in psychiatry now. LOL. I am fine trust me.

I only posted the boston channel link because it reminded me that I posted about that. I really had not even been thinking about it.
and the link does NOT agree with me, it mentions it but it also states that NOTHING is proven.
so it did not prove my point to be valid at all.

 

[mhsjax]

I don't care unless people like the pp that spend her shift in the ER. Sorry but I don't want anything that the ER has to offer, so I really don't care if you had to go shopping. Your shopping isn't important compared to picking up MRSA or something else. YOu know the dangers when you decided to become a nurse, so deal with it by changing clothes when you leave the hospital, especially the ER,

Most nurses I know, that actually wear them to work, won't even come into their own house with scrubs on. I mean really, Drs want their patients out of the hospital ASAP, because as mine old me last year after surg and so did my nurses, you don't want to be here, there are way to many germs in a hospital.

 

[mhsjax]

I wore my scrubs to Bath and Body last evening.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday, while many folks were out with family celebrating a holiday, I spent from 6:45 am until 7:15 pm in the ER. I'll be doing the same today and Sunday, too.

Something DD wanted for Christmas was on sale at B&B yesterday and on the way home I ran in and picked it up. I really have no other option in the situation unless you'd like to volunteer for me for part of the day so I can buy the things I want on sale like everyone else.

Your are the nurse, we aren't. We didn't decide this for you we don't have to pick up your shift. YOu knew the job description when you took it.

 

[npmommie]

I don't care unless people like the pp that spend her shift in the ER. Sorry but I don't want anything that the ER has to offer, so I really don't care if you had to go shopping. Your shopping isn't important compared to picking up MRSA or something else. YOu know the dangers when you decided to become a nurse, so deal with it by changing clothes when you leave the hospital, especially the ER,

Most nurses I know, that actually wear them to work, won't even come into their own house with scrubs on. I mean really, Drs want their patients out of the hospital ASAP, because as mine old me last year after surg and so did my nurses, you don't want to be here, there are way to many germs in a hospital.

when I worked in the hospital I left my shoes at the door, they never entered the house.
my scrubs came off immediately and went into the laundry. only scrubs in a load.

now, I do still leave my shoes at the door. ( I unknowingly walked thru urine one evening, so there is a reason to leave them at the door!!)

my clothes come off and go into the dirty pile, I do wash them with other stuff though.
I do psychiatry, so I don't do any kind of physical care now. but like I said, I do enter rooms with precautions, so who knows what little buggers may end up on me.